5 Benefits of Having a Blog

January 29, 2015

11:00 am

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It is amazing when you realize that 20 years ago, blogs were a really scarce (if not entirely nonexistent) thing found online. Today, there are over 150 million blogs on the Internet, which makes for pretty big growth. Without a doubt, platforms like Blogger and WordPress have a great deal of responsibility for this, given that they allow users to create a blog easily and without costs.

Today, having a blog is almost commonplace and has become an important tool in marketing. For businesses, a blog is not just a place to publish PR releases, but a place to submit content with a business-related purpose. When leveraged properly, blogging can improve lead generation, customer acquisition, revenue growth, online exposure, and brand management.

However, not everyone starts a blog with business goals in mind. Here are 5 benefits of blogging for the everyday person.

1. A blog can be an online profile

With companies linked to the technology niche, it is common practice to research the online profiles of prospective job candidates for position vacancies, allowing companies to execute a more targeted search for talent and recruit experienced applicants. Because of this, blogging can be an asset to job applicants and employees who want to showcase their portfolio, work experience, and knowledge.

2. A blog is an opportunity to make money

Most people learn how to blog as a hobby but, through time (if the content is good enough to establish a loyal readership), blogging can become a full-time job. Bloggers can make money via ad space (think Google AdSense ads), affiliate programs, eBook sales, private ad sales or sponsored reviews, lead generation, speaking fees, or selling a product/service.

While most bloggers won’t reach the level where a single blog can generate a full-time income, niche blogs can offer supplemental or part-time income, even helping many families earn money with a stay-at-home parent.

3. Writing in a blog improves one’s writing skills

There are only two ways to become a better writer – either by reading voraciously or by writing regularly. An active blogger will regularly produce thousands of works of content each week, and like anything else in life, practice makes perfect. The more you write, the more organized and on-point your thinking and analysis will be.

4. With a blog, feedback is easy to get

Blogs with an active and loyal readership or community can be a great way of getting feedback. No matter where you are in life, what you are experiencing, or the hardships ahead of you, there is someone in the online community who can relate to you.

For example, the personal finance community is littered with bloggers who started websites to document their journey to becoming debt-free. By reporting their progress to their readers, they are able to get feedback from others in similar situations as well as maintain a sense of accountability.

Blogging is a great way to share your wisdom or experiences with other online readers, and have them contribute their knowledge to you, too.

5. A blog is an easy way of establishing a contact network

By sharing your experiences, knowledge and insights, you can establish yourself as an expert or authority figure within a niche or industry. Once you start to become known as an industry expert, you can start to grow your professional network by introducing yourself to other industry professionals and influencers.

There are many other benefits of blogging, what are some you’ve noticed or enjoyed? Let us know in the comments.